Airport transit visa

1. What is an airport transit visa ?

An airport transit visa (also called ’A’ visa), is a visa that allows you to transit through the international zone of a French airport with no access to the Schengen space, before flying to your final destination.

For example: you fly MIAMI - PARIS - NEW DELHI or MIAMI- PARIS - LAGOS, and stay within the international zone at Roissy - Charles de Gaulle airport for a few hours, without going through immigration.

But

Traveling from the USA to any SCHENGEN COUNTRY (except France) via a FRENCH AIRPORT is not considered an airport transit neither is travelling from the USA to any country via 2 Schengen state airports. All flights between two or more Schengen States are considered to be «domestic» flights. Depending on your nationality, you might needa short stay visa.

If you transit through a French airport and if you need a visa for the Schengen state which is your main destination, you must apply for a short stay visa at the consulate of that country. This Schengen visa will allow you to transit through a French airport.

2. Will I be able to pay a quick visit to Paris ?

NO. An airport transit visa does not allow you to go out of the international zone of the airport. if you need to change airports you will need a short stay visa, also called ’C’ visa.

3. Do I need an airport transit visa ?

You DO NOT NEED an airport transit visa if you :

hold a valid Schengen visa, national long-stay visa or residence permit issued by one of the European Union countries;

hold a valid residence permit issued by Andorra, Canada, Japan, San Marino or the United States of America. For the US, valid residence permits are :

Form I-551 Permanent resident card (valid for 2 to 10 years),

Form I-551 Alien registration receipt card (valid for 2 to 10 years),

Form I-551 Alien registration receipt card (no expiry date),

Form I-327 Re-entry document (valid for two years — issued to holders of a I-551),

Resident alien card (valid for 2 or 10 years or no expiry date. This document guarantees the holder’s return only if his/her stay outside the USA has not exceeded one year),

Permit to re-enter (valid for two years. This document guarantees the holder’s return only if his/her stay outside the USA has not exceeded two years). The advance parole is NOT a re-entry permit.

Valid temporary residence stamp in the passport (valid for one year from the date of issue);

hold a valid visa for one of the countries of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, Monaco, Andorra, San Marino, Canada, Japan or the United States of America, or if this visa is expired but you are leaving the country which delivered it;

are a spouse/minor child of a European Union citizen;

hold a diplomatic passport;

are a flight crew member -national of a contracting party to the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation.

If you are not listed above, you DO NEED an airport transit visa, only if you are citizen from the following countries :

Afghanistan

Bangladesh

Cameroon

Central African Republic

Chad

Rep. of Congo

Congo DRC

Cuba

Dominican Republic (starting Nov. 14th 2016)

Eritrea

Ethiopia

Ghana

Guinea

Guinea-Bissau

Haïti

India

Iraq

Iran

Ivory Coast

Liberia

Mali

Mauritania

Nigeria

Pakistan

Palestinians

Philippines

Russia

Senegal

Sierra Leone

Somalia

Sri Lanka

Sudan

-

Exceptions :

* No airport transit visa is required if you have a US or Canadian visa stamped in your passport or if you travel with your U.S. Refugee travel document.

4. How to make an appointment?

For security reasons, all applicants have to appear personally at the Consulate General of France in Miami. This is not negotiable.

The visa section is open to the public on an appointment basis, with no walk-ins allowed.

To use the system, the following configuration is required : Firefox 1.0 and higher Mozilla 1.7.8 and higher Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 and higher Adobe Acrobat reader and higher allow pop-ups

IF YOU CANNOT PRINT YOUR CONFIRMATION RECEIPT IT IS NOT A PROBLEM. Simply show up on the date and time of your appointment .

No appointment can be made by phone or by e-mailing us. If you are not able to attend, please free a slot by canceling your appointment.

Make sure you bring all the required documents when coming to the Consulate General.

5. Processing time

An airport transit visa may be issued within 2 to 3 days upon application.

Applications cannot been processed more than 3 months ahead of time

6. Requirements

Please provide us with the original + 1 copy of each document. The visa section does not make any copies, you must bring your documents and the required copies.

Applications are processed free of charge for spouses of French citizens

Original passport or travel document (+ ONE COPY of the identity pages). Your passport must have been issued less than 10 years ago, be valid for at least three months after your return to the US and have at least 2 blank visas pages left.

proof of your status in the USA (US visa along with a copy of I-20 / I-AP66 / I-94, or an Advance Parole document.
We do NOT accept applications from B1/B2 visa holders. They must apply in their country of residence

Your travel itinerary to your country of destination : you MUST BOOK your airline ticket but do not purchase until the visa has been approved.

if applicable : a valid visa for the country which is your main destination

If the applicant is under 18 years old and travelling without his parents:

notarized copy of his (her) birth certificate

notarized authorization from both parents allowing their child to travel to France or from the parent exercising full custody of the child according to the divorce decree.

if you are divorced : certified copy of divorce decree stating that you have full custody of the child(ren).

In case that you do not want to pick up your passport in person, a self-addressed prepaid envelope from the US POST OFFICE (Express or Priority Mail) - FEDEX or UPS .

Please stick the mailing label on the envelope and fill out as follows :

FROM:

LEAVE BLANK

TO:

Your full nameYour address

7. Important information

The consular administration has full authority to evaluate and request more documents than those submitted by the applicant.

Please be aware that submitting the aforementioned documents does not guarantee the approval of the visa.

Please note that holders of visas are still subject to immigration control upon first entry into France. The visa itself does not grant the right to enter France.